The Legion of the Maor Dlí
Based in what used to be the Royal Palace in the North, the Legion is a paramilitary force designed to uphold the law where the forces of local governors cannot. The Legion is one of the few professional military forces to outlive the monarchy of Ásaterra, And it was their name and legacy that inspired the other Northern Legions to call themselves "Legions". While the issues of Law and Order are now dealt with by the entire High Council, the Legion still has the power to make sure the laws of the land are enforced, arresting and punishing those who break them throughout the nation. Because of this power they are an influential force in the politics of the north and Ásaterra as a whole as their judgement can often be a deciding factor in a dispute. Many of them, however, hold deep seated prejudices against magic due to their history with the sorcerers and the legacy of the civil war that is still present in some of it's more long-lived members. They are not, however, above using their own ‘pet’ mages to aid them in their work. While the Legion of Maor Dlí strives to be above the politics of the Northern Legions, holding no land directly and choosing to spread its influence across Ásaterra, inevitably they do at times find themselves in a position where a side must be taken. Origins and Formation During the civil war of 650-654BA, a shortage of soldiers among local authorities had lead to a rampant rise in crime. As a result, criminal organisations rose to prominence within Ásaterra, organisations who were able to undermine the weakened local Lords/Ladies. The dealing with these organisations was proving too much for the Cataphract order alone, who simply lacked the numbers to deal with these criminals. As such in 654BA, soon after her coronation, Queen Safae founded the Legion of Maor Dlí to tackle these threats. The legion was loyal directly to the Crown, as such they were able to travel anywhere within Ásaterra and enforce the laws of Ásaterra upon any force that was too great for the local authorities to handle. The Legion proved a success, stamping out all the known criminal organisations and restoring peace to the crime-ridden corners of the realm. So successful was the Legion of Maor Dlí, that it became a permanent part of the Ásaterran monarchy, acting as the purple fist of royal law throughout the rest of the monarchies history. Roles Within Ásaterra In modern Ásaterra, The Legion of Maor Dlí acts as an elite law enforcement body. Their role is to step in and enforce the laws of Ásaterra where the local law enforcement bodies cannot. As such, when a bandit group gets too large, or a criminal organisation covering the whole nation is discovered, it is the Legion of Maor Dlí who brings the purple fist of the law upon them. The Legion of Maor Dlí has a special place in Ásaterran society, for they have the authority to enforce the Laws of Ásaterra anywhere within her borders. As such they act (in theory at least) as impartial law enforcers, who put the laws of Ásaterra and it's well being before any other loyalties. The Legion holds no lands, for they consider all of Ásaterra as the lands in which they must dispense justice. While the Legion of Maor Dlí has the authority to enforce the law throughout Ásaterra, they do not have the authority to override the ruling of a local leige. This means that when judgement must be passed on an individual (outside of the North where they are respected as the best law enforcers), they will more often bring the suspect to the local law enforcer to pass judgement. The Legion of Maor Dlí is not immune from politics, however. As they are a prominent member of the Legion of Legeónas. This means that many of the other Northern legions try to court favour with the Legion of Maor Dlí, to get their support in their endeavours. Formation and Structure Elector At the head of the Legion of Maor Dlí is the Elector. The Elector is in overall command of the Legion and determines the deployments of its various cohorts. As the cohorts of the Legion are often in high demand throughout Ásaterra, the Elector is considered to be very influential within the political spectrum. Therefore, the position of Elector is a very highly valued title and as such is rarely given to anybody outside the circle of highest ranking nobles in Northern Ásaterra. However unlike the Elector titles of the other Legions, the Elector position in the Legion of Moar Dlí is not always inherited by the firstborn child of the previous Elector. Skill as well as birth are both considered in it's appointment. Primus However, due to the highly political nature of the Elector, the individual holding the rank often prefers to stay within the circles of the nobility and delegate the actual command of the Legion to a Primus. The Primus is an individual chosen from the ranks of the Legion by the Elector to perform the day-to-day running of the Legion. It is thus, that more often than not the primus is considered to be the true head of the Legion, as they are the one who organises the cohorts, deals with internal issues within the Legion and provides a strong voice to follow upon the field of battle. The Primus is a highly sought after position, for it is one of the highest titles that those outside of the nobility can obtain, and is often used as a means to enter the ranks of the nobility proper. Cohorts The Legion is then divided into twelve cohorts, each lead by a Strategoi who is aided by a Jannisair. These Cohorts are deployed to separate theatres so that the whole of Ásaterra can benefit from the Legion’s presence. Although the majority of the cohorts stay within the northern lands. Over time some of these cohorts have developed specialisations to deal with the unique circumstances of their deployment. The most notable of these are as below; 1st Cohort; The first cohort has over time become the best of the Legion, drawing on the most useful members of the other cohorts as well as recruiting directly into its ranks to ensure it has the best range of legionnaires possible. It was for this very reason that the 1st cohort was assigned to the Council’s Expedition Force and continues to ensure the law is maintained where it is needed most. 2nd Cohort; Based in Hynafoltre, the 2nd cohort of the Legion of Maor Dlí has over the years faced the worst riots and urban crime Ásaterra has to offer. As such the members of the 2nd cohort have become experts in large-scale riot control, able to suppress the worst the city has to offer with minimal civilian casualties. Their equipment has developed too, as they favour heavy armour and large tower shields in order to protect themselves from hurled projectiles. They can also be easily identified by their signature “law bringers”, wooden rods used to suppress individuals without causing immediate death. 7th Cohort; Stationed within Broad Oak forest, the 7th cohort has for several years been fighting running battles with the various bandit groups that plague the forest. As such the members of the 7th cohort have become experts in tackling guerilla warfare, able to track with ease and ambush unsuspecting bandits. The members of the 7th cohort tend to favour the bow over other weapons, as the bandits of the forest will often flee before they can be closed into melee range. 10th Cohort; The 10th Cohort is unique among the Legion as it is rarely collected into one place, instead operating in smaller groups both independently and alongside other cohorts. This is because the 10th Cohort specialises in dealing with threats and crimes of a highly magical nature. As such the 10th Cohort possess a very high number of mages within its ranks, alongside those trained in the art of magical shielding in order to best complete their tasks. Notable Figures Main Page: The Expeditionary Force Relevent pages - Northern Ásaterra - Laws of Ásaterra - Law Enforcement in Ásaterra Category:Lore Category:Factions